


Honeymoon

by Carzekiel101



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28779372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carzekiel101/pseuds/Carzekiel101
Summary: Carol and Ezekiel go on their honeymoon.
Relationships: Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Honeymoon

**Honeymoon**

Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.

Notes: Look at the title. Not kidding.

The morning sun is streaming in through the open window, its warmth caressing the skin of the two people lying in a close lover`s embrace. The room is a mess – clothes are scattered everywhere, pillows lying on the floor, sheets rumpled. The distinct smell of sex is still hanging in the air, although it is being washed away by the summer breeze that is carrying the aroma of wildflowers, grass and berries growing in the garden.

The pair is slowly coming awake, stirring in each other`s arms. A smile is forming on the woman`s beautiful face when she feels her lover`s arms tightening their hold on her, his lips brushing against her naked shoulder. They make a magnificent couple. Her skin is pale with a fine dusting of freckles, her short silvery hair sticking to her head, soft curls springing up here and there. The man`s skin is a warm chocolate tone, his hair falling in long dreadlocks over his shoulders and back, the color a similar shade as the woman`s.

“Good morning, my Queen.”

The smile on the woman`s face deepens. _Queen_. It wasn`t like she hadn`t been called that before. He did it frequently, usually followed by some sort of protest from her. Not this morning, though. This morning was different. Raising her left hand, she wriggles her fingers in front of her face. The ring on her finger is sparkling in the sunlight. His hand comes up, too, lacing his fingers with her. There`s a ring on his finger as well, a simple black wedding band.

Last night they got married.

Being King Ezekiel`s wife, Queen Carol was now her official title.

Turning in his arms, Carol hooks a leg over her husband`s hip, her palms pressing against his face to pull him close for a kiss.

“Good morning, my husband.”

Smiling, they stare into each other`s eyes, happier than they`ve ever been in their lives. The world they were living in was far from being perfect. They have been thrown into an impossible apocalypse, forced to fight for their lives, surrounded by death and pain. But they survived and in the middle of it, somehow they found each other, two pieces of one soul reuniting. Together, they made it out on the winning side, conquering their enemies and building a life, a future.

“Ready to go?”

“Oh, yeah!”

Grinning, Ezekiel rolls to his back, pulling Carol on top of him.

“I can`t wait.”

They have spent their wedding night at home in the Kingdom, but when they`ve been planning their wedding, they decided to go on a little honeymoon trip afterwards. The small cottage, where Carol used to stay after her first encounter with Ezekiel and the people from the Kingdom was the perfect destination for it. It was secluded with a wrought iron fence surrounding the property, keeping them safe from any stray walkers.

Now two hours after waking up, they are standing in front of the Kingdom`s gates, saying their goodbyes to their son, Henry.

“You`ll be listening to Jerry while we`re gone.”

“Yes, dad, I will.”

“We`ll be back in two or three days.”

“Okay, mom.”

Carol kisses Henry`s forehead, then gives him a loving hug. Stepping to the side, she lets Ezekiel do the same while she mounts their horse. It`s summer, the sun shining brightly from a steel blue sky and she is already sweating under her armor. To protect herself from the sun, Carol has wrapped a scarf around her head, the ends falling over her left shoulder. Her arms are bare, she`s only wearing a simple white tank top over her faded jeans. Judging by the look on Ezekiel`s face, he found her outfit rather appealing. Not that she would keep it on for very long.

Grinning, Carol looks down at her husband. He`s taking a seat behind her, her heart rate speeding up in anticipation of their alone-time. Reaching around her body, Ezekiel grabs hold of the reins, then spurs on their horse. When they pass the gates, they turn around, waving to Henry and Jerry before falling into a leisurely trot. Of course, they could have taken a horse each, but Ezekiel thought that one was enough for the short trip and Carol didn`t argue. She enjoyed being close to him.

Once they have arrived at the cottage, they make sure their horse is safe in the small stable that is attached to the back part of the building. Entering the house through the back door, they step inside the small kitchen. Over the past couple days either of them had taken trips to the cottage in order to bring over everything they would need for their stay – food, mostly, but also clean bed linens, towels and clothes. The cottage had long been unused but both of them made sure they would be as comfortable as possible.

The heat outside was reaching its peak, but the temperature inside the cottage was bearable. Glad to be finally out of the sun, both Carol and Ezekiel hurry to get out of their armor. Of course, there is no electricity in the cottage, but there is a small compartment under the kitchen floor that could be used to store food, keeping it relatively cool. Opening the lid, Ezekiel reaches inside and pulls out a bottle of water, handing it to Carol. She takes a sip, then hands it back to Ezekiel.

For some heartbeats, they just stare at one another. Their eyes roam over each other freely, appreciatively. They`ve been together for almost two years now, but their hunger for each other hasn`t lessened one bit. Taking a step forward, Ezekiel grins at his wife.

“Alone.”

“Mhm. So what do you wanna do now?”

Carol tries to put on an innocent look, retreating backwards into the living room. Ezekiel follows her, stalking her until she hits the sofa with the back of her legs. Ignoring the question, he simply slides his arms around her, his lips capturing hers in a passionate kiss. Carol`s hands fist the front of his shirt, battling him for dominance. She manages to steer him around, pushing him down on the sofa, quickly sliding onto his lap. Ezekiel`s hands land on her ass, pulling her against him.

Sitting up, Carol eyes Ezekiel hungrily, giving him a predatory smile. Slowly she starts unbuttoning his dark blue shirt, pushing it open to reveal his delicious skin to her. He`s sweaty, his scent heightening her arousal. Sliding her hands up and down his torso, she admires the feeling of his muscles under her palms. A memory flashes through her mind and she has to bite her lips to stop herself from giggling.

“Want me to tell you a secret?” She keeps teasing his pecs, her thumbs rubbing over his flat nipples.

Ezekiel drags his eyes from the nice view he had of her cleavage, focusing on her face. “Please do.”

Sliding her hands up over his shoulders and around his neck, Carol leans closer, whispering in a conspiratorial tone.

“That day, when you came here the first time with Shiva, offering me the pomegranate. I could barely keep myself from kissing you. I never felt so – attracted – to a man before.”

Their lips are almost touching, breaths mingling.

“Is that so?”

She grabs his jaw, her tongue sneaking out to tease his lips.

“And after you left – I did something very naughty. Right here.”

Ezekiel`s fingers dig into her, a low growl escaping his throat. Unable to resist, Carol presses her lips to his passionately. God, she wants him badly.

“Show me.”

Woah. What? She blinks her eyes rapidly, staring him in the eye.

“You wanna watch?”

Carol`s heart is beating wildly in her chest. That was new. And exciting. Holding his gaze, she slides off Ezekiel`s lap, leaning back on the sofa. Holding her feet up she waggles them in front of his eyes. Getting the hint, he pulls off her boots and socks, dropping them to the floor. Reaching for the button on her jeans, Carol slowly pushes them down her legs along with her panties, adding them to the pile. Bending her knees, she places one foot on the backrest and the other one in Ezekiel`s lap, giving him a tantalizing view.

Slowly, she runs her left hand down her body, dipping it between her legs. She runs her foot over the unmistakable bulge in Ezekiel`s pants, drawing another groan from him.

“Take of your shirt.”

He does as he`s told, shrugging it off his shoulders. He changes his position, so he`s facing Carol directly, his left hand settling on her upper thigh.

“Show me.” His voice is hoarse, the look on his face pure desire, sending shivers down her spine.

Keeping her eyes on his face, Carol starts running her fingers through her damp folds, gathering the wetness and rubbing it over her clit. Ezekiel`s hot gaze is stoking her fire, her hips moving to increase the pleasure. She watches him cup himself through his pants, a deep moan falling from her lips. Desperate to have something fill her, she slides her middle finger inside her body, the palm of her hand grinding against the swollen bundle of nerves. Throwing her head back, she works herself, sweat streaming down her body. Just a little more pressure and she is coming, her right hand digging into Ezekiel`s arm.

What an incredible sight she makes. Ezekiel isn`t able to reign in his own lust anymore, her smell robbing him of any ability to think straight. Holding her legs open with his hands, he descends his mouth on her, sucking the sensitive pearl, torturing it with his tongue. Carol`s head snaps up in a surprised scream, her fingers weaving into Ezekiel`s dreads in a death grip. Her body is still so aroused, she effortlessly slips into another orgasm, stronger than the first, her whole body trembling under his touch.

It takes a while for her to get her breathing back under control and when she looks up, Ezekiel is grinning at her with his chin placed on her belly. Pushing against his shoulders, Carol struggles in a sitting position. She pushes Ezekiel back until he is the one lying on his back. She makes quick work of his belt, freeing his rock-hard erection. In a swift move, she gets rid of her top and bra, then without further hesitation goes down on him.

Ezekiel grits his teeth, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He loves watching her, loves seeing her perfect lips wrapped around him, loves feeling her wet tongue caressing him. He reaches for her and – pushing the scarf off her head – tangles his fingers into the damp curls on the nape of her neck. Carol`s eyes are on his face, witnessing the obvious pleasure she is giving him. It`s beautiful, powerful. Like him. Like their love.

Both his hands cup her head, his thumbs softly caressing her cheeks. “Please.”

She knows what Ezekiel wants. What she wants. Releasing him from her mouth, Carol moves up his body. She searches for his kiss, sinking into it. His arms wrap around her while he thrusts up into her welcoming body, both of them moaning in unison. They move in perfect harmony, bodies pressed against each other as if wanting to disappear within the other. They are one, climbing higher and higher – and then they fall, together, crashing over the edge, bodies convulsing in ecstasy.

Carol slumps on top of Ezekiel, completely spent. They are drenched in sweat, breathless, utterly satisfied.

“I`m the luckiest man in the world.”

Carol tilts her head up, giggling softly, eyes sparkling with glee.

“For letting you watch?”

Ezekiel rolls his eyes at her before leaning down for a sweet kiss.

“For having you as my wife.”

The look on Carol`s face turns soft, her hand reaching up to stroke his beard.

“I`m the lucky one.” Another sweet kiss. “I was lost and broken. But you found me. You healed me. You showed me unconditional love and happiness.” And another kiss. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you.” Again, Ezekiel captures her lips, then presses soft kisses to Carol`s nose and forehead. Snuggling into each other, they doze off, tired from the heat and exertion.

Later that afternoon, when the worst heat has faded and a soft breeze is rustling through the trees, the newly-weds take a tour around the property, routinely checking the fence and surroundings. Then, after taking care of their horse, they grab a blanket and some fruits and water and settle down on the soft grass in the backyard for a light picnic. Neither of them bothered with putting on too many clothes, Ezekiel just wearing a pair of shorts while Carol slipped into his discarded shirt.

Lying on his side, propped up on one elbow, Ezekiel watches Carol. She has rolled to her stomach next to him, a book in front of her. She pretends to read but is overly aware of his eyes on her, wandering up and down her body, from her toes to her head and back again. Out of the corner of her eyes she notices him shift slightly, then feels his fingertips running up her bare legs. His touch is light, teasing, inching higher and higher, slipping under the hem of his shirt. Still he goes further, over her thigh until he reaches the firm globe of her buttocks, giving it a tender squeeze.

Carol bites her lips, suppressing a groan. “What are you doing?” She looks at him over her shoulder, playfully narrowing her eyes at him. Ezekiel flashes her one of his boyish grins that always turn her insides to mush.

“Why don`t you take this off?” He tugs on the hem of his shirt, waggling his eyebrows.

Huffing in mock indignation, Carol shakes her head at him.

“Why would I do that?” She turns her attention back to the book, pointedly turning a page without having read a single word.

“You could get a smooth tan.” Ezekiel`s fingers are still on her behind, teasing her.

“Yeah, no. I don`t get a tan. I turn into a lobster. And that would mean no more fun for you, mister.”

She hears him chuckling and a second later she feels his lips on her buttocks, his tongue, then his teeth gently biting into the soft flesh.

“Hey!”

Carol rolls onto her back, good-naturedly slapping at Ezekiel. Laughing he covers her body with his, capturing her lips. Intertwining their fingers, Carol turns her head, looking at their joined hands. Once again, she`s marveling at their differences – his much larger hand, the tone of his skin a stark contrast to her own. Pulling it closer, she places a kiss on the back of Ezekiel`s hand.

“I love us together.”

Smiling down at her, he kisses her again. And again. And again. Rolling to his back, Ezekiel pulls Carol on top of him. Still kissing her, he reaches for the book, holding it over their heads.

“What are you reading?”

It`s a cheesy romance novel, one of many Carol found during her first stay at the cottage. She tries to snatch it from Ezekiel`s hand, but he holds it out of her reach. Opening it at a random page, he starts reading out loud. Groaning, Carol buries her face in his neck. The book isn`t really interesting, but she enjoys listening to Ezekiel`s melodic voice, imagines him up on a stage performing Shakespeare. Maybe she could convince him to do a personal show for her when they were back home.

Ezekiel deliberately exaggerates his intonations, pleased with himself every time he hears Carol giggle against his chest. When he reaches a particularly schmaltzy love scene Carol sinks her teeth into his shoulder to stop herself from laughing out loud. Grinning himself, Ezekiel keeps reading on until he feels her small hand creeping under the waistband of his shorts and her hot breath on his ear.

“How about you _show_ me that instead of just reading about it” she purrs, her tongue sneaking out to lap at his skin. Sucking in a shuddering breath, Ezekiel tosses the book away, wrapping both his arms around his wife, searching for her kiss. Carol`s idea was indeed far more interesting.

They make love under the late afternoon sun, surrounded by the heady smell of summer, insects buzzing around them, birds chirping in the sky above them. It`s like no one exists in the world except the two of them. Being out in the open is exciting, life-affirming. Carol never felt so carefree before in her life, so completely at ease with herself, her sexual nature, her man. Ezekiel brought out a part of her she never knew existed before she met him. He was her everything, the missing part of her soul, her mate.

Turning her head, she pulls on his dreads, desperate for his kiss. His body is plastered to her back, his large hands splayed out over her breasts and stomach, holding her to him. She feels her orgasm approaching, her nails digging into Ezekiel`s thigh, moaning into his mouth. Carol`s body goes rigid, her inner muscles clamping down on his shaft, pushing him over the edge with her. Legs shaking, Ezekiel carefully lowers them to the ground, rolling off of her in the process.

They lie next to each other, her on her stomach, him on his back, smiling lazily. Their hands find each other again, their need to touch somewhere, anywhere stronger than their exhaustion.

“Incredible.”

“Yes, you are, my Love.” Rolling to his side, Ezekiel places his hand on Carol`s hip, bowing down to kiss her freckled shoulder. Rising up on her elbows, she pushes some wet strands out of her face, looking directly into his eyes.

“You know what would be fantastic now?”

Ezekiel raises an eyebrow in expectation, waiting for her to continue.

“A bath.”

“A bath?”

“Yeah. Wash off all this sweat and – other stuff.”

Chuckling low in his throat, Ezekiel kisses her shoulder again, then her ear. “I thought you liked that – other stuff.”

Carol looks at him, a sensuous smile playing on her face. Grabbing his chin, she pulls him closer. “I do.” She kisses him, softly nipping on his full bottom lip. “But I still want a bath.”

Groaning dramatically, Ezekiel slumps back, arms stretched out on either side of his body, yielding to his fate.

“If that`s what my Queen wants, then she shall have it.”

There`s an old claw-foot bathtub in the small bathroom of the cottage and a well in the backyard. It takes Ezekiel some time to pump up enough water to fill the tub and heating some of it for a nice temperature. While he is busy, Carol prepares them a light meal for dinner. They enjoy it on a bench outside while they wait for some more water to boil to add to the tub.

“Perfect.” Holding her hand into the water, Carol tests the temperature, satisfied with the result.

“Why don`t you get in? I`ll be right back.”

She gives Ezekiel a quick peck on the lips, then disappears through the door. He looks after her with a quizzical expression on his face, then shrugs his shoulders. Shedding his shorts, he steps into the tub, reclining with a satisfied groan. That really felt good.

Carol returns two minutes later with a bottle and a glass.

“Whatcha got there?”

Placing the glass on a small stool, Carol hands Ezekiel the bottle.

“Whiskey? Where did you get that?” The look of joyous wonder on his face makes Carol happy. It`s been a while since they had the chance to enjoy a glass together.

“Traded it.”

“For what?” Tilting his head, Ezekiel regards her with a questioning look, but Carol doesn`t elaborate any further on the matter. Instead, she shrugs out of Ezekiel`s shirt, standing before him completely bare. Taking the bottle out of his hand again, she fills the glass and hands it to Ezekiel. He watches her mesmerized, the question what she may have traded for a bottle of good whisky completely slipping from his mind.

After lighting some candles, Carol joins her husband in the tub, leaning back against him.

“Don`t you wanna try?”

Ezekiel takes a sip, humming his approval, then passes the glass on to Carol. They savor the moment, completely relaxed in each other`s arms. Passing the glass back and forth, they take a sip once in a while, hands caressing smooth skin, lips seeking tender kisses. It`s Carol`s voice that breaks the comfortable silence.

“We should just stay here. Spend our days like this. Ignore that the rest of the world exists.”

Ezekiel makes an unintelligible sound behind her. Placing the now empty glass on the stool, he wraps both his hands around her, his nose nuzzling her damp hair.

“Too bad they know where we are. And you wouldn`t last a week without Henry around. Neither would I.”

A soft smile appears on Carol`s face thinking about her son. Ezekiel was right, of course. No way would she leave Henry behind. When she stayed at the Sanctuary and later at the camp some months ago, she missed them both like crazy. It was then that she swore to herself that she would never ever sacrifice being with them for anything in the world. They were her family, her whole world, her life.

Turning in his arms, Carol whispers into Ezekiel`s face “Then let`s make the best of the time we have.”

Cupping the back of her head, Ezekiel pulls her in for a long, deep kiss that seems to last forever. Only when the water has reached a distinctly uncomfortable temperature do they climb out of the tub. Not bothering with drying themselves off, they are back in each other`s arms immediately. Never breaking their kiss, Ezekiel grabs Carol`s ass, lifting her up, her legs locking around his waist. He carries her to the small bed, lowering her down on the mattress, covering her body with his.

Ezekiel is in no hurry. He takes his time kissing every spot of deliciously freckled skin, worshipping her beautiful body with his mouth and hands. To him, she is pure perfection. From the first day he met her, his soul had reached out for her. She was his everything, the love of his life. Her love for him, her trust in him is the most precious thing to him. Her faith in him made him stronger, made him trust his own abilities. She filled his life with a kind of happiness he never knew before and keeping her happy was the most important thing in his life.

Their lovemaking is sweet and tender, bodies pressed together from head to toe, barely moving. They can`t take their eyes off each other, drowning in the love shining from deep inside. Their lips find each other again and again, whispering sweet nothings in between kisses.

Very slowly, their movements get a little bit more urgent, more insistent. Carol can`t (and doesn`t even try to) suppress the deep moans coming from her throat every time Ezekiel grazes her clit with his shaft, his hips rocking against her. The sparse hairs on his chest slide over her tightly puckered nipples in an exciting caress, bringing her ever closer to completion. Her body moves in perfect counterpart to him, intensifying the exquisite friction.

Her release rolls over her in waves, dragged on by the relentless motion of Ezekiel`s body. Carol lets herself float away, her arms and legs wrapped around his body. Enveloped in the safety of Ezekiel`s embrace, his warmth and love she submits to the immense pleasure coursing through her body and mind. The feeling of his wet mouth on her breast combined with the scratch of his beard, the insistent sucking on her flesh directly translates to the sweet pearl between her legs, pushing Carol towards the peak of her climax.

Ezekiel enjoys watching her, her obvious pleasure heightening his own. The feeling of her hands on his skin, kneading his flesh, the sounds coming from her, the way her inner walls are squeezing his manhood, it all urges him on. He wants to stay in this moment with her forever, wants to make it last as long as possible, but the forceful grip of her body pulls him with her. He surrenders, his hands blindly searching for hers.

“Carol.”

The sound of her name, breathless, urgent, makes her open her eyes. Her fingers laced with his, she looks up into Ezekiel`s face. They stare at one another as he empties himself deep inside of her, filling her with his life.

Later, after they shared another glass of whiskey, they lie in each other`s arms. Ezekiel is drawing lazy circles on Carol`s belly, a dreamy look on his face. She watches him, a tender smile playing on her lips. Reaching for his face, she caresses his beard, pressing against his cheek to make him look at her.

“Tell me what you`re thinking.”

Her voice is hushed, barely more than a whisper. She knows what is on his mind, has been for a while. It has been on her mind as well. She thinks he knows that, too. They have never talked about it. Not until now. Now she is ready for it.

Ezekiel`s eyes find hers, seeing right into her soul.

“Have you ever” he licks his lips, searching for the right words. “Have you ever thought about having another child?”

There. Now it was out in the open, the question hanging between them.

Carol keeps stroking his face with her thumb, her smile widening. Her answer is as simple as it is stunningly true.

“Every time we make love.”

“And do you want it?”

She`s not answering right away, instead she leans up to press her lips to his in a lingering kiss.

“More than anything else.”

Ezekiel`s heart skips a beat then starts beating wildly in his chest. A part of him was scared of her answer, although he had noticed the longing look on Carol`s face whenever she was near baby Hershel or her reaction when they had heard about Michonne`s pregnancy. With a delighted laugh, he crushes Carol to his body, kissing her firmly. She is just as excited as he is, but still there is something that needs to be said.

“Let`s just keep in mind that – well, I`m not exactly 20 anymore.”

Ezekiel looks down at her with a raised eyebrow, grin firmly in place. “So?”

Carol averts her eyes. She really doesn`t want to break his enthusiasm, but she doesn`t want him to be disappointed, either. Gently grabbing her chin, Ezekiel makes her look at him again.

“Carol.”

“It might not work.”

Ezekiel refuses to give any negativity some space. “There`s never any guarantee, no matter what age. And we have no reason to believe that something might be wrong, do we?”

Carol slightly shakes her head. “It hasn`t happened yet, though.”

“We never really tried.”

“We never really tried to _prevent_ it, either.”

Come to think of it, she was right about that. They`ve been – reckless – right from the start. Oh, well. The thought makes Ezekiel grin even wider, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Doesn`t mean anything. We just need to try harder. Focus on the right time.”

Now even Carol can`t suppress a grin anymore. His enthusiasm was just way too adorable. His positivity, his ability to always look on the bright side was something she deeply admired about Ezekiel.

“I mean, you do believe that it is possible, right?”

Nodding her head, Carol pulls his face closer so she can kiss him. “Yeah.” Another kiss. “I do.” Another, longer one. “Zeke?”

“Hmm?” His lips barely leave hers, brushing against her ever so lightly.

“It _IS_ the right time of the month.”

A look of surprise is washing over his face, replaced a second later by a distinctly predatory expression.

“It is? Well, in that case…”

This time, when his lips touch hers, it is with passion, his hands roaming her body in lustful determination. It is much later that they finally fall asleep, sated, happy, dreaming of their perfect fairytale future.

They spend two more days in their little hide-away – laughing, talking and, of course, making lots of love. Neither of them is bothering with putting on many clothes because what little they do wear never stays on for long anyway.

It was their honeymoon, after all.

Epilogue

1 year later

Ezekiel carefully peeks into the bedroom, then silently enters when he finds Carol still asleep. He puts the tray he is carrying down on the nightstand before sitting down on the edge of the bed. For some moments he just watches her, his face a reflection of the deep love and admiration he feels for her. She was the greatest treasure of his life, his beautiful wife.

She looks different now than she did on their wedding day a year ago. To his surprise, Carol had decided to grow her hair out and now it was framing her face in soft waves. Unable to resist touching it, Ezekiel reaches out to brush some strands out of the way that have fallen over her face in her sleep. She stirs, sleepily opening her eyes, smiling at him when she sees him.

“Hey you” she mumbles.

“Good morning, beautiful!” Ezekiel leans in to place a sweet kiss on her lips. “Happy anniversary, my Love. I brought you breakfast.”

Carol turns her head, her whole face lighting up when she sees what Ezekiel brought. There`s a plate full of blueberry pancakes as well as a bowl of fresh blueberries. Then there`s also some slices of fresh bread and a second plate with scrambled eggs. And flowers. He always brought her flowers. Reaching for his face, Carol pulls him down for another kiss.

“Thank you. And happy anniversary to you, too.”

Her bright smile turns into a grimace of pain, her hand pressing against her belly.

“Ouch.”

Ezekiel looks down in time to catch a tiny foot emerging from Carol`s belly, perfectly visible if just for a moment. As always, he is stunned to witness this spectacle, a look of wonder on his face. His hand comes up to stroke the firm flesh of Carol`s protruding belly, then he leans down to press a kiss against it. She watches him with a tender expression, caressing his head. Seeing Ezekiel interact with their unborn child always made her feel incredibly happy, his obvious joy about becoming a father touching her deep inside.

Her pregnancy had come to them sooner than they expected. Much sooner. A mere four months after their wedding and subsequent honeymoon they have begun to suspect that their greatest wish had come true and by Christmas they had been absolutely sure that there would be a new member to their family. Now today was their first wedding anniversary and the expected date of birth was just a couple days away.

“Oh! Damn!” Another strong kick from her daughter has Carol clenching her teeth. Struggling to get into a sitting position she holds her hands out to Ezekiel for help. “Help me up. I need to go to the bathroom.”

Ezekiel immediately gets up und pulls her to her feet, steadying her while she tries to find her balance. Her belly has grown considerably over the past couple months. And while she otherwise kept her slim figure it looked quite huge, sometimes leaving her off-balance. Mundane tasks like standing up or putting on shoes have become practically unmanageable on her own, annoying the hell out of Carol more and more lately. Now shaking off Ezekiel`s helping hand, she slowly waddles her way over to the bathroom.

When she comes back a couple minutes later, she stops in front of the mirror, looking at herself with an adorable pout on her lips. She is only wearing some panties and one of Ezekiel`s shirts that`s only buttoned down to cover her breasts, the tails hanging open, leaving her belly bare. To Ezekiel, she never looked more beautiful.

“I`m a whale.”

Ezekiel walks over to his wife, embracing her from behind, his hands caressing the evidence of their love.

“You are gorgeous.”

Narrowing her eyes at him in the mirror, Carol places her hands over his. “Of course, you would say that. After all, you`re responsible for this.”

Chuckling, Ezekiel presses a kiss to the crown of her head. “And I`m infinitely proud of it, too!”

Now Carol sticks her tongue out at him, leaning back in his arms. A deep sigh escapes her lips. “I`m so tired. I just want to hold her in my arms already.”

“I know, baby. So do I. We just need to have a little more patience.”

Uh-oh. Obviously that hasn`t been the right thing to say. All of a sudden, Carol`s face crunches up and she begins to sob.

“Sorry.”

“Hey, nothing to be sorry about, okay?!” Ezekiel turns her in his arms, cradling her against his chest as best as possible with her belly in the way. “You have been amazing all these months. It`s perfectly understandable you`re getting tired now, especially with the heat.”

Sniffling, Carol looks up at him. “I love being pregnant, I really do. I loved every second of this journey with you. It`s just that – _this_ (she`s pointing at her belly) – is getting more and more uncomfortable with every day. I never thought it would get this huge. Sometimes I wonder if there`s more than one in there.”

The pout is back on her face and she looks at Ezekiel with provocative accusation. He bites his lips to hide his grin, knowing full well that would be a very dangerous thing to do now. So, to divert her attention, he tips her chin up for a kiss, then says “Why don`t you lie down again? You`re breakfast is getting cold.”

He takes a step or two forward, trying to pull her with him, but she doesn`t move.

“Zeke!?”

He turns his head to look at her. She`s staring at him wide-eyed.

“I don`t think we need to wait much longer. My water just broke.”

His eyes dart from hers to the floor, where a small puddle has appeared at her feet, then back up again. For a moment they just stare at one another, smiling brightly.

Their baby was coming to meet them.

END


End file.
